Tongs-carrier.



W. E. SANDFORD. TONGS CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20.

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PATENTED JAN. 14, `1908'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVEN'roR' No. 676,661. PATENTED 11111.14, 1966.

W. 1:.'SANDP0RD- TONGS CARRIER.

APPLICATION FILED 1116.20.1906.

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wlrussses /w INVENTQRv am@ 611.1% @W www 'v -tion relative to a furnace or furnaces.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEErcE.

WILLIAM E. SANDFORD, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO.

ToNGs-GARRIER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. SAND- FORD, of Zanesville, Muskingum county, Ohio, have invented a new and useful Tongs- Oarrier, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevationshowing one form of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is an end elevation; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the chain hook. p

My invention relates to the welding of pipe, and is designed to avoid hand labor connected with cooling and returning the drawing tongs to the point where they are` applied.

To that end the invention consists in a re-A turn carrier for the tongs, in connection with means for cooling the tongs. y

It further consists in means for cooling the tongs during their passage back to the point of application, and further in the construction and arrangement of the parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, 2 represents a platform or base frame, which may be mounted upon wheels 3 traveling upon track 4, which extends parallel with the furnace or furnaces. By thus mounting the platform, the tongs carrier may be brought to any desired polsi- T 1e base 2 is provided with vertically extending supports 5, which carry an inclined guide track 6 for the roller chain 7 in the upper part of its travel, and also support the bearings for the sprocket wheels 8, 9 and 10 over which the chain carrier travels. The chain may be actuated in any desirable manner, as for example, by a work wheel 11 on the shaft 12 of the sprocket 9; and driven by a worm 13 actuated by electric motor 14. This motor may be connected to any suitable controller located at any desirable point, and the lead-in and lead-out rails will be flexibly connected so as to allow movement of the apparatus as a whole.

At any desired intervals along the length of the chain I secure to the chain links the laterally projecting fingers 15, which are curved lengthwise and provided with a triangular slot or opening. At one side of the Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 20, 1906. Serial No. 331,225.

Patented Jan. 14, 1308.

travel of the chain I provide a water bosh 16, which extends preferably only a part of the length of the support or frame. The tongs 17 may be laid in the outer end of the trough with the knob 18 projecting outwardly. As the next chain finger reaches the knob it will engage it and gradually lift the tongs into vertical position, where they hang until carried back to the front end of the apparatus. As they thus hang they are gradually raised out of the water bosh by the inclined arrangement of the chain track. When they reach the front end of the apparatus lthey are dropped on the iloor by the passage of the chain over the top sprocket, thus bringing them to the desired position for application to the pipes.

The advantages of my invention result from doing away with hand labor in cooling and returning the tongs. The apparatus is simple, easily controlled, and not liable to get out of order.

The frame may be made rigid in one position relative to the furnace, other types of carriers maybe used, and many other changes may be made Without departing from my invention.

I claim 1. In pipe welding apparatus, a tong carrier, and means containing a cooling medium in the path of the carrier, said carrier being arranged to raise the tongs from the cooling medium into a vertical position and then transport and deposit them at the opposite.

side of the carrier; substantially as described.

2. In pipe welding apparatus, a vertical frame-work, an endless carrier arranged to travel thereon in an elongated path, and having devices for engaging and conveying tongs and a receptacle for a water bath through which the tongs pass during at least a part of their travel; substantially as described.

3. In pipe welding apparatus, a movable frame-work having a tongs carrier arranged to travel thereon and provided with means for supporting the tongs at one side of the frame-work; substantially as described.

4. In pipe welding a paratus, a movable frame-work having a fexible tongs carrier arranged to travel thereon, and means carried by the frame-work for cooling the tongs as they are moved by the carrier; substantially as described.

5. In pipe Welding apparatus, an endless In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set i carrier7 a Water bosh or trough near the oarmy hand.

rier, said carrier having supports 'for the WILLIAM E SANDFORD tongs and being arranged to gradually lift 5 the tongs from the Water bosh or trough into I/Vitnesses:

a vertical position on their return movement FRANK W. GORDON,

substantially as described.y Y ARTHUR R. DUNN. 

